The Journey of Yotan
by PotterRocksMySocks
Summary: Yotan is the newest Pokemon region. WIth it comes new pokemon, new places, new challenges, and a new legend. Follow the adventures of Alex, Jack, Lina, and Ben as they save Yotan from a terrible fate. CH 3: The City of Flames
1. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own the theme of Pokemon but I do own some of the characters and creatures.

**The Beginning **

**August 1**

**Alex – 12:30 PM**

A boy of thirteen ran as hard as he could. He pounded his feet up and down on the hard pavement, his messenger-type backpack swinging behind him. His green hair whipped in the wind and his matching eyes shown brightly. He had on a red T-shirt that was covered by a black and white jacket. He also wore a pair of black cargo pants that hung loosely over a pair of red and white sneakers. His hands, which were swinging by his sides, wore gloves that came up to mid finger. His name was Alex.

He ran up the streets of the small town Muddale, which was situated in the corner of the region of Yotan. Yotan had been completely cut off from the other regions until about fifteen years ago. It was discovered when a cruise liner veered off course and crashed into the continent. Alex's family had moved there two years later.

Alex rounded a corner and his destination came into view. A large building rose ahead of him. It had glass windows and a large double door. It was Professor Maple's laboratory.

Professor Maple studied Pokemon for a living. It was a legend that she had once won the Pokemon Championship three times. But she had retired and come here to be around nature.

Outside the lab was a group of kids. He recognized a couple of them from his Pokemon Academy. A boy with blonde hair was leaning against the glass door, staring at the ground. He wore an orange T-shirt with a black, pocketed vest. He had black pants on too and white tennis shoes. He was taller than all the kids there, at a staggering 5'10". His name was Jack Carter.

**Jack – 12:30 PM**

Jack had woken bright and early to get to the lab. He had dressed, eaten, and left the house by eight, which was surprising since he usually wasn't up until nine. He had walked slowly down the streets of Muddale.

Jack had lived in this town all his life, but had never really enjoyed it. He was dreamer. For all his life he had wanted to get out of Muddale and see the world, with great Pokemon at his side. His dream was finally coming true.

Hanging over one shoulder was a green backpack. It was filled with clothes, snacks, a notebook for research, and a bag of money. As soon as he got his new Pokemon, he was gone.

Jack didn't mind leaving his obnoxious uncle. He had lived with him since his parents died three years ago. They had left one day to research in the woods, and never came back. Two days later, their bodies were found and he was dumped on his uncle's doorstep. Jack had been told they died of "mysterious causes".

The boy of thirteen finally arrived at the large, silver building. Of course the doors were locked but he had expected that, so he slung his backpack off his shoulder and sat on the ground.

An hour later, another child showed up. He recognized her as Lina Moon.

**Lina – 12:30 PM**

Lina had been woken up at eight by her over obsessive mother. She was force to shower, dress, and eat in half an hour then was rushed out the door. Lina was still half asleep when she was outside her house.

Lina was constantly pressured by her mother to chose the right Pokemon and become a great trainer. Mrs. Moon herself had once been a fantastic trainer. She had come very close to winning the Pokemon Championship, but was beaten in the final match. Lina believed that her mother had never quite accepted the fact she didn't win.

Ever since Lina was born, she had been pressured to be the best, to win the Yotan League, and fulfill her mother's dream. Lina hated it. She couldn't live up to her mother's standards. And now, on the most important day of her life, it was the same as always.

Lina walked along the cobblestone streets quietly. She had on a white tank top and matching shorts that went down to mid-shin. On her head was a plain white bandanna with a pink Pokeball insignia on it.

She turned the corner and saw the lab in sight. He also saw the entrance to the Muddale Trail. Walking towards it was a boy she had known since she was little. His name was Ben Garrison. Lina knew he already had a Pokemon and that he was leaving on his journey today.

**Ben – 12:30 PM**

Ben had been waiting for this day for years, ever since his brother had left on his own journey. Now, when the summer of his thirteenth birthday had come he was ready.

His father had supported him as much as a father could. When Ben was seven, his father had given his son an Eevee for his birthday. Ben had loved it and practiced with it for five years.

When he left home, he had put on a green shirt that was under a white T-shirt. His pants were also white and he had on black shoes. His hair was a dazzling red. He had hazel eyes and always had a smile on his face.

Ben released Eevee from his Pokeball and walked with him through his home town. Ben realized he would miss this town. But at the same time he was looking forward to his very own journey ahead of him.

He had just passed through an avenue when he saw a boy run through the street. He followed the boy with his eyes to the front door of Professor Maple's lab. He joined the two other kids that were there. Ben smiled and then walked on.

**Alex – 1:00 PM**

The doors finally opened and revealed a beautiful Professor Maple. She had long brown hair and wore glasses over her brown eyes. She also wore a long white lab coat.

Professor Maple smiled and beckoned the three children inside. They walked into the large open research room of lab. Bookshelves lined the walls and computers buzzed at tables scattered randomly around the room. At the back of the room was a silver machine. It had a large circular surface with three different Pokeballs on it.

The professor walked over to the machine and said "These are your starter Pokemon. Each of you can have one." She picked up one ball and said "This is Razoroot, the grass Pokemon," she picked up another, "This is Firalamander, the fire Pokemon," she picked up the third, "and this one is Mantras, the water Pokemon. Now, Lina your up first."

Lina stepped forward and bent over the silver table. Alex saw her pick each Pokeball in turn before finally deciding on one. Lina turned around and Alex saw it was the water Pokemon, Mantras. Alex grinned inwardly. His choice Pokemon hadn't been taken.

Jack was up next. He chose quickly, walking over and immediately picking up the one he wanted. Alex saw it was the fire Pokemon, Firalamander. Alex almost cheered with relief as he stepped up to the silver table and grabbed the final Pokemon.

"I also have other gifts for you," said Professor Maple. She walked over to a large computer and tapped in a couple codes. Out of the side popped three small devices. They were PokeDexes. Alex had seen these before when his brother Zeke had gotten his. The professor handed one to each of the children along with five Pokeballs.

"Use these wisely. I wish you good luck on your journey," said Professor Maple. With that, the three children left the large building. Alex stood outside the lab in the bright sun, smiling. Alex realized he hadn't even seen Razoroot yet. He grabbed the Pokeball and released his Pokemon for the first time.

It appeared in a white light. Razoroot was green and had short stubby legs and long feet. Its arms were equally stubby ending in long, razor-sharp straight, claws. Its head was triangular shaped with a short antenna that looked like a root.

Razoroot smiled happily and bounced around its new trainer. Alex patted it on the head and said "I think were going to be a good team."

**Jack – 1:10 PM**

Jack admired his Firalamander for a long moment. It was orange with yellow triangular stripes leading up to its head. It was two feet long from head to tail. It had shining black eyes that studied its trainer carefully.

Jack heard Alex release his Razoroot. Jack looked over and saw him petting it and an idea popped into his head. "Hey Alex, are you up for a battle?"

Alex looked over at Jack and Firalamander and said "If you're up for being beaten." Alex and Razoroot walked over to his former classmate. "You can go first if you want."

Jack nodded. He looked down at his Pokemon and then shouted "Firalamander, use Ember!" The small snake Pokemon reared up, inhaled deeply, and fired a ball flames from its mouth directly at Razoroot. The attack hit and sent the grass Pokemon flying backwards.

"Razoroot counter with Vine Whip," Alex shouted. The little antenna on Razoroot's head grew as it threw its head back, and then snapped it forward hitting Firalamander right on the head. The snake wobbled precariously with its eyes spinning.

"Now, Razoroot, Scratch!" Alex yelled and the grass Pokemon ran forward and whacked the snake with its claws.

"No!" Jack yelled as the little snake fell over and fainted. On the other hand, Alex cheered and hugged his new Pokemon.

Jack frowned and picked up his passed out Pokemon. _Fire should always beat grass_, Jack thought. _Next time, it will_. He returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball, and silently walked away from the lab towards the entrance to Muddale Trail.

**Lina – 1:10 PM **

Lina walked out of the lab after the other two. She was admiring her PokeDex. She was ecstatic that she finally had one. Her mother would be extremely proud.

Outside the lab, Lina released her Mantras. She was shocked when it suddenly appeared before her. Mantras liked like a sting ray flying. It hovered in the air before Lina flapping its blue and white fins, as if it were swimming. The top of the Pokemon was blue and its underside was white. It had small black eyes.

Lina instantly fell in love. She leaned forward petted the top of its head, but recoiled when she realized it felt just like a fish.

"So, are you ready to go show mom?" Lina asked her new Pokemon. As if in response, it flew around her and squeaked before darting down the street. Lina chased after her Pokemon and saw her two classmates from the academy, Alex and Jack, battling their own new Pokemon. It appeared that Alex was winning. She felt mesmerized by the pattern of battle.

"Mantras," the little Pokemon squeaked in a high pitched voice. The sound brought Lina back to reality.

She continued to walk towards her white home just a little ways from the lab. She arrived at the front door and let herself in. Lina's mother was sitting at the kitchen table watching the news on the television across the room when she walked in. Mrs. Moon instantly screamed and ran up to hug her daughter.

"Let me see it!" Lina's mother screamed. She then noticed the little blue Pokemon floating behind Lina's head. Mrs. Moon reached out to touch it but it scampered by Lina's left arm. "Aw, it's shy. That's adorable! I'm so proud of you Lina," said Mrs. Moon and wrapped her arms around her daughter. A smile spread across Lina's face.

"I already packed your things in here," said Mrs. Moon and handed her daughter a blue traveling bag. Lina opened it and saw it was filled a couple pairs of clothes, her toothbrush and toothpaste, some snacks, and an envelope full of money. Lina smiled and hugged her mom again.

"I promise I make you proud, mom," Lina said to Mrs. Moon. Her mom ran her fingers through Lina's hair. Lina turned and said "Come on Mantras, time to go." With that, Lina left her home in Muddale.

**Ben – 5:00 PM**

Ben had been walking for many hours down Muddale Trail and the scenery still was the same. The Eevee beside him was growing tired. Ben glanced down at it then said "Okay, we can take a break." Eevee smiled and the two friends sat down. Ben leaned over to his yellow duffel and pulled out a dish and a water bottle. Eevee sat expectantly as its trainer filled its dish and sat it in front of the Pokemon. Eevee eagerly lapped up the cool refreshing water.

Ben looked to the sky and saw the sun was slowly sinking towards the horizon. This caused the surrounding sky to begin to look pink. When he looked back down at his Pokemon, he saw that Eevee was already quenched and lying peacefully on the ground. Ben smiled.

"Looks like were going to be together for a long time, buddy," he said and then began to dig into his duffel.

A/N: Hey, I hope you liked it. Just some things I want to point out: 1. there are going to be a lot of fan made characters, Pokemon, cities, and gyms. Sorry, I hope that doesn't annoy anyone. 2. On the routes, I'm going to use real names because they make more sense and because I don't really know what number they were on. Please read and review!


	2. Muddale Woods

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or I would be stinking rich.

**Muddale Woods**

**August 2**

**Alex – 9:30 AM**

The day that Alex had first gotten his Pokemon, his parents hadn't allowed him to leave. Alex told them that this would set him way behind schedule, but they countered with "These are the last moments we'll have together for a long time." So Alex had stayed for the night and then set off as soon as he could the next morning.

Now, Alex was wandering the trail that cut right through Muddale Woods. Alex had been allowed to wander through these woods on several occasions. Most of the Pokemon in the woods were bug and grass types. Alex ignored most them as they screeched from their trees.

Alex had been walking for a couple hours when something soared over his head. Alex stumbled and fell on his behind. From his position on the ground, the boy turned and saw a small red and black bird nestled in a branch. Its black beady eyes stared at him intently. Around its neck was a ring of black feathers that spiked out farther than the rest of the feathers that covered its body. It had black claws that clung to the branch and a matching beak.

Alex pulled out his new PokeDex and pointed it at the strange Pokemon. A picture of the bird flashed up on the screen. A woman's voice began to echo through the speaker saying "Cardifly, the cardinal Pokemon. It has been known to be able to learn flying and fire attacks. It can extend the spiked feathers around its neck even further to deflect physical attacks."

Alex smiled and reached for the Pokeball around its belt. The red and white orb returned to normal size and Alex shouted "Go, Razoro-," he was cut off by a force hitting from the side and knocking him back on his butt. Alex looked up to see another boy of the same age. The boy wore a safari hat and matching vest. Under it was a white shirt. He had on leaf green pants and white shoes. In his hand was a Pokeball.

"What's your problem?" Alex said standing up and staring angrily at the newcomer. The boy didn't take his eyes of the Cardifly.

"I can't let other trainers capture my Pokemon," said the boy out of the corner of his mouth.

"Your Pokemon?" Alex said, his voice rising. "That thing's obviously wild."

"Not for long," said the newcomer with a smirk. "I'm going to catch it."

"I was going to catch it first," Alex said before shoving the boy aside.

"I saw it first," said the boy before shoving Alex back.

Alex glared at the boy before saying "Fine, how about a battle. One Pokemon, winner gets to capture the Cardifly."

The boy thought for a moment. "Okay, I could use a warm-up," said the newcomer. "By the way, I'm Drew."

"Alex," Alex said in a completely fake friendly tone. "Go, Razoroot!"

"Zigzagoon lets beat this twerp," Drew yelled. Out of the Pokeball in his hand, came a raccoon-like creature with brown and tan fur. It growled at the newly appeared Razoroot.

"Okay, Razoroot, attack with Scratch," Alex yelled and his Pokemon charged forward and swung his claw at the Zigzagoon.

"Zigzagoon, dodge using Quick Attack!" Drew yelled. The small raccoon seemed to disappear right as Razoroot swung his claw down. Zigzagoon reappeared next to Razoroot and slammed into its side. Razoroot was sent backwards onto its back. "Now use tackle!" Drew yelled at his Pokemon.

As the little raccoon Pokemon charged forward, Alex yelled "Razoroot, use Vine Whip!" Razoroot's antenna extended and smacked Zigzagoon in the chest, stopping the tackle attack. "Now, try Scratch again!" At the command of its trainer, the grass Pokemon stood and darted towards the fallen Zigzagoon. Razoroot's claw sliced upward along the raccoon Pokemon's back, sending it into the sky. Zigzagoon fell to the ground with a thump.

Zigzagoon attempted to stand up but fell over again and passed out. Alex cheered and hugged his grass Pokemon. Alex looked up at Drew, who had returned his Zigzagoon and was laughing. "What's so funny?" Alex asked.

"Nothing, it's just that you did all that work for nothing," Drew said through his laughter.

"Huh?" Alex said and looked up at the tree where the Cardifly had been sitting. The branch was now empty. Alex's shoulders slumped and he had a disbelieving look on his face. His gaze turned to Drew and he growled. "You're dead." said Alex before tackling the other boy into the brush.

**Jack – 9:30 AM **

Jack had only had half an hour of traveling time the day he got his Pokemon. He had decided to say good bye to his favorite cousin, Katie, who was a year younger and lost track of time.

Now he stood in a clearing, notebook in hand, sketching a Pokemon that lay sleeping a couple feet away. The Pokemon was a bug type. It had a round abdomen and four spindly legs that were curled under the creature. Its head was also round and had bug eyes. It had two antennae that stuck out of its head. The whole creature was a light green.

Jack had identified it as a Loricus and was busy observing it. Jack's starter Pokemon, Firalamander, was eating its breakfast near Jacks backpack. "Almost done," Jack said as he finished sketching the creature. "Alright, now let's catch it." This comment was directed at his Pokemon.

Firalamander came to Jack's side. "Okay, Firalamander, use Ember," Jack said and the orange snake charged forward towards the Loricus. The bug Pokemon awoke and its eyes grew to the size of fists. Firalamander inhaled and sent a ball of fire at the Loricus. At the last minute wings sprouted out of Loricus' back and it soared into the sky. Jack stared at in wonder.

Loricus stared at Jack in a strange immature kind of way. To jack, it seemed its bottom lip quivered. Suddenly, an ear-splitting screech came out of the bug Pokemon's mouth. Jack covered his ears as the screech grew in volume until it was unbearable. Then, the Loricus became deathly quiet and stared at Jack.

Jack thought it was over until he heard a faint sound. It sounded like a buzz. It, like the Loricus' screech, grew louder and louder. It was coming from Jacks right. He looked through the trees in that direction but didn't see anything. That is didn't see anything at first.

Jack suddenly noticed a dark form coming Jack's way. It was followed by two more shadow, and then three, then a many forms appeared. The lead creature hit a patch of sunlight and it was revealed.

Jack realized it was a Pokemon. It was all black except for four yellow eyes on its triangular, bug-like head. One antenna sprouted out of its head. Its body was semi-human with four long arms sticking out. The arms ended in claws. It had two more spindly legs curved around its very large stinger. Jack would have been afraid of this Pokemon on a regular basis, but today jack was horrified because these wasp creatures were mad.

They swarmed into the clearing and drifted in front of Jack. The Loricus seemed to smirk as it floated in front of the swarm of Pokemon. Jack was very tempted to tell Firalamander to sizzle its sorry exoskeleton but then caught sight of the massive stingers and decided against it.

Jack guessed there must be a hundred in all. That was way more than Firalamander could handle. Jack's only option was to get out of there as fast as he could. So he turned and ran with his Pokemon slithering behind.

Over stick and stone, Jack and Firalamander charged being pursued by a hundred wasp-like Pokemon. Jack noticed that his Pokemon was falling behind. Jack grabbed its Pokeball and pointed it at Firalamander. "Return," Jack said and the snake Pokemon disappeared in a flash of red light.

Suddenly, a log exploded next to Jack. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Pokemon were firing yellow blasts of light out of the tips of their stingers. He realized they were solar beams. A piece of turf exploded near Jack's feet which encouraged Jack to run harder.

The trainer stumbled onto a large trail that cut through the woods. Jack looked back and forth until the buzzing sound reached his ears. He darted left and began to run again. The wasp Pokemon followed.

Jack suddenly realized something terrible. He was growing tired. There was no chance he could keep going like this. He had to think of a way to get rid of the swarm of Pokemon.

Jack racked his brain for an idea. He was so preoccupied with thinking that he didn't watch his footing and tripped over a large stone. Jack's face was driven into the ground. His bag, which he had slung over his shoulder when leaving the clearing, also hit the ground and spilled its contents across the trail.

The swarm dive bombed the trainer on the ground. But Jack saw the Pokemon's eyes look to the left at the trainer's backpack. Right before the wasp-like Pokemon hit Jack, they veered off course towards the green backpack. Jack looked over and saw that all hundred Pokemon were swarming the bag.

In a minute, the Pokemon lost their interest in Jack and the bag and flew off into the distance. All except the original Loricus, who was scrabbling between the items that were in the bag. Jack's eyes narrowed his eyes and said "You are so dead."

Jack reached towards the Pokeball on his belt and released Firalamander. The snake looked over at its trainer expectantly. "Okay, use Ember on that punk," Jack ordered and a burst of flame rocketed out of Firalamander's mouth. The Loricus had just enough time to look up before it was launched off its spindly legs. "Now, Tail Whip!" Jack said and his snake Pokemon swung its tail around and slapped the Loricus across the face. It wobbled for a bit then passed out.

Jack grabbed a Pokeball that had rolled out of his bag, enlarged it, and threw it at the Loricus. The bug Pokemon disappeared in a flash of light. The Pokeball it had gone into wobbled for a minute and then lay still. Jack leaped into the air and shouted "Yes! I caught Loricus!"

**Lina – 9:30 AM**

Lina was growing weary of the forest scenery that she had been viewing since yesterday afternoon. The night before had been terrible, sleeping on the hard ground, and now her back hurt terribly. She constantly had to stop and take breaks. Her feet were developing large blisters. She had torn her shorts numerous times. In other words, she was miserable.

Her Pokemon, Mantras, floated happily along beside her. Lina couldn't understand why it was so cheery. _Probably because it gets food and water handed to it and doesn't have to walk,_ Lina thought scornfully. She immediately felt bad about thinking that and smiled gently at her Pokemon. It responded by circling her head and coming to float by her head.

Lina was growing thirsty, so she stopped next to a large tree and slung off he blue bag. She reached into it and pulled out a bottle of water. She chugged it down greedily, but then caught sight of Mantras' longing face. She reached over and poured it gently into the Pokemon's tiny mouth. After, it sat on Lina's lap, looking very refreshed.

Lina stared at it for a while, smiling. Her vision began to dance and her eyelids closed softly. Soon she was fast asleep.

-----

An hour later, Lina blinked as she opened her eyes to the bright sunlight. She looked around at her surroundings. Lina yawned deeply and stood up. She packed away her things into her blue bag. Then she looked towards the mountains in the distance and set off down the trail.

That's when she realized something terrible. Mantras was missing. Lina looked around her but the little blue creature was nowhere to be seen. Lina slapped her hand to her forehead. _I can't believe this, _she thought. _I lost my first Pokemon._

She darted back up the trail to where she had fallen asleep, but it was still missing. She looked for clues as to its whereabouts. Every thing was as it was when she had sat down. Lina began to panic and darted into the forest.

For fifteen minutes she checked in every bush and tree. She looked in the small stream that trickled near the trail. She checked a small clearing in the woods, but all it contained was a log and, strangely, a Pokemon dish that was still filled with food. She thought nothing of it and left.

Tears began to fall from her eyes and soon she crumpled to the ground. There she lay for at least an hour before something touched her arm. Lina looked up and saw a green Pokemon nudging her with its small nose. It stood on four small legs and was covered in green fur. It had large eyes on its fox like face. It had two pointy ears and between them was what looked like, a small shrub. Its tail was bristly like a fox's but it was made up of pointy leaves.

Lina stopped crying long enough to take out her PokeDex and point it at the Pokemon. A picture of it flashed up on the screen and a female voice said "_Shrubail, the fox-grass Pokemon. For its razor-leaf attack, it shoots leaves out of the shrub on its head_."

Lina smiled at it as it continued to nudge her arm. "I would capture you, but I don't have a Pokemon," At these last words, she winced. The Shrubail began to pull on her shirt. "Hey, quit it," Lina said and tried to push it away but it tugged harder. Shrubail tugged hard enough to make her stand up.

Suddenly, the little Pokemon darted away through the underbrush. "Hey where are you going?" Lina asked it. The Shrubail looked back at her as if beckoning her, then began running again. Lina ran after it.

The Shrubail ran quickly and it was hard for Lina to keep up. They ran around trees and through bushes for what seems like forever. They came upon the stream Lina had seen earlier. The Shrubail turned and followed it with Lina trailing behind.

The stream led them to a large pond secluded in a clearing deep in the forest. The pond was packed with all types of grass, normal, and bug Pokemon. They played and swam or lay out in the sun. It looked like a Pokemon vacation spot. Then Lina noticed a particular Pokemon swimming in the water. It was her missing Pokemon, Mantras.

Lina ran towards the pond and dived in. The little water Pokemon came over to her and splashed her gleefully. Lina almost cried with relief. "Mantras, you scared me half to death," Lina tried to sound stern when she said this, but Mantras' smile prevented her from doing so.

For a few more hours, the two friends played with the other Pokemon in the clearing. At first, they had been wary of her, but now they played and splashed with out a care. The Shrubail sat on the edge on the pond like a life guard, occasionally jumping in to help a floundering Pokemon.

As the sun began sink down in the sky and Lina knew it was time to leave the clearing. She returned Mantras to his Pokeball and dried herself off. As she began to leave she realized that she had now idea which way was the trail. She turned back to the Shrubail. "Hey, do you mind showing me the trail?" said Lina with a polite smile. It smiled back up at her and ran off into the forest. Lina ran after it.

Soon they arrived at the path and Lina turned back to Shrubail to find that it was nudging her bag. It managed to open the bag and pull out a miniaturized white and red orb. Lina looked at it strangely as the Shrubail dropped it into her hand. She realized that the Pokemon wanted to be captured. "Go, Pokeball!" Lina shouted and threw the orb at Shrubail. The Pokemon disappeared in a flash of red light. Lina caught her first Pokemon.

**Ben – 8:00 PM**

Ben and his Pokemon, Eevee hoped they were almost out of Muddale Woods. They had been walking for too many hours to count and many times had to double back to make sure they were still on the right path.

They stopped after a few minutes and stopped to make camp for the night. Ben started a small fire and unpacked his sleeping bag. Ben poured some water for his Pokemon and lay down to sleep.

Suddenly, Eevee's ears perked up and it stood. Ben had heard it too. Voices, in the distance. Ben stood also and peered at his surroundings. He saw Eevee suddenly take off into the forest behind them. Ben followed quickly.

They ran for a minute before coming to a large clearing. In the center was an old-fashioned log cabin. At first, Ben thought the voices had come from there, but there where no lights on in the cabin. The trainer decided to investigate anyway.

Ben and his Pokemon crept forward silently. The crossed the clearing and came to rest under a small window. Ben knelt and peered in. It was dark inside the cabin. Ben could make out the silhouettes of a couch, armchair, and coffee table. Everything looked fine.

Ben continued to hear voices and he was puzzled further. "Eevee!" chirped the little Pokemon and stared at the sky. Ben looked up too. On the log roof stood two figures. One appeared to be a girl with long hair. The other looked like a boy against the night sky. They were bent over staring intently at the roof.

Suddenly they each stood up and a tiny, almost silent explosion occurred. A chunk of the roof was blown off, large enough to fit a person through. One after another the two people on the roof disappeared into the house.

Lights turned on in the house. Ben watched through the window as an old woman came out of the back room and confronted the two characters. Ben watched as she recognized who it was and darted back into the back room. The two people followed her back. Ben faintly heard voices and a slight struggle.

The two people ran out of the room towards the front door. Ben couldn't see the old woman and this worried him. Ben heard the front door open and saw them run off into the dark woods. He had restrain Eevee from chasing after them.

Ben and Eevee walked around to the front of the house. The front door stood ajar. Ben pulled it open and walked in. "Hello?" Ben called but no answer came. They walked farther into the house, into the back room. It turned out to be a bedroom.

The woman that Ben had seen before was lying on a queen bed with her head in her hands. Her hair was in a bun and she wore a floral bathrobe. Eevee ran u to her and leaped onto her bed. The woman glanced over and received a shock by the sudden presence of the Pokemon. But she calmed down and began to pet him on the head.

"So, I assume this is your Pokemon?" the woman said with a sideways glance at Ben. He nodded. "He is very sweet. You're lucky to have him."

"I know," Ben said. "We saw what happened. What did those two want from you?" Ben asked her and sat down on the bed.

"Something I obtained long ago," said the old woman. "It was a small yellow stone, with a lightening bolt in the middle. I do not know what it was, but I've kept it for years as a good luck charm." Ben pondered on the mysterious stone for a minute until the woman said "I would love to have it back."

Ben stood and Eevee jumped up. "We'll get it back for you," Ben said firmly. He and Eevee ran out the door and into the clearing. Eevee immediately darted off in the direction that the chumps had disappeared.

They traveled in silence through the dark forest, searching every clearing, stream, and even up in the trees. But the guy and girl had disappeared without a trace. They eventually came upon a small enclosure. Here, Ben noticed footprints in the muddy ground. They led off to the left.

For another fifteen minutes, the two friends walked. It seemed they would never find anything until the sound of voices once again reached their ears. Eevee's ears perked up and it bolted in a completely different direction. Ben realized his Pokemon wanted to get the stone back just as much as he did. Ben followed until they came upon yet another clearing. There, Ben found the stone and the thieves that took it.

Ben got his first real look at them. The woman had long, straight purple hair and gray eyes. She wore a tight shirt that was the color of magenta. It came down to her wrists, but her sleeves were covered by black gloves. The shirt had a light blue "n" on the chest. She also wore a matching skirt and dark red tights. Black knee high boots covered her feet.

The boy had a similar outfit only, instead of a skirt, he wore magenta colored pants. His hair was a vibrant blonde. His eyes were a sparkling blue. Around his forehead he wore a pair of brown goggles. Neither of them were over seventeen or eighteen.

"When will the transportation arrive?" said the woman in a high, cold voice. "The shorter time I spend in this forest, the better."

"In fifteen minutes," replied the man. "Can you wait that long?"

"I don't think I can," it wasn't the woman who said this, but Ben, who had appeared out of the forest following Eevee. The two thieves turned in surprise at the sound of his voice.

"Who are you?" the man said.

"Doesn't matter," Ben said, not wanting to reveal his name. "All that matters is that you stole something that I will need you to give back."

"Fat chance," said the woman in a mocking tone. "Just get lost, kid."

"Not without a battle," Ben said firmly and Eevee darted in front of its trainer.

"With that thing?" the woman laughed and then pulled out a Pokeball. "Fine, go Houndour!" The woman threw the orb high into the air. It opened to release a dog-like Pokemon. It looked very serious.

"Okay," Ben said. "Eevee, use Tackle!" The small Pokemon charged forward towards Houndour.

"Houndour, Ember!" the woman shouted. Houndour released a large fireball directly at Eevee.

"Use Quick Attack to doge," Ben said. Eevee seemed to disappear at the speed it moved. The Ember attack crashed into the ground. Eevee reappeared next to Houndour and slammed into its side. The Houndour was sent into the ground on its side.

"Arrgh, get up!" the woman said scornfully. The Houndour pulled itself to its feet. "Now, finish off that punk with Bite!" Houndour charged at Eevee with its jaws open.

"Eevee, Defense Curl, quick!" Ben shouted. Eevee quickly tucked its head into its stomach and formed a ball. Houndour's jaws sank into Eevee's back, but its defensive move reduced half the damage. "Now, uncurl and use Quick Attack again," Eevee darted forward again at blinding speed and crashed into Houndour's front. The Pokemon was slammed onto its back again.

"Now, one more Tackle," Ben commanded. Eevee pounced forward on Houndour, causing it to faint. 

"What!" the thief yelled. "How could I have been beaten by a runt like that?" as she said this, she gestured at Eevee.

"Nice going, Luna!" the man with blonde hair yelled.

"Shut up, Orion!" Luna yelled back. "Look, we got the stone, our ride's here, so don't be mad at me!" She held up her hand to show the yellow stone they had stolen, but it was gone. "What!?!" Luna yelled again. She looked over at Orion, then at the new trainer.

Ben stood on the other side of the clearing with a grin on his face. He opened his palm to reveal the yellow stone with the lightening bolt in the middle. "Eevee's quick attack move is very useful,"

"I am going to squeeze the life out of that twerpish Pokemon!" Luna yelled and started walking toward Eevee. Orion held her back.

"Forget it, its time to go," he said and pointed to a helicopter that had appeared in the night sky. It was black with a light blue capital N painted on both sides. It flew closer and closer to the ground. The grass rippled at the gusts of wind generating from its twirling blades. Ben stepped back, away from the giant vehicle. A rope ladder dropped out of the helicopter and Luna and Orion climbed up.

"This isn't over!" Luna yelled from the hatch of the helicopter. Ben watched it disappear into the night. He looked down at Eevee and smiled. "Nice battle."

They returned through the forest to the log cabin. He knocked twice on the door and waited. After a minute the door opened to reveal the old woman, who had bee busy making a cup of tea, which she now held in her hand.

"Hello, again," said the woman. "Please come in." Ben entered the small house with Eevee at his side. He was ushered into a small kitchen, where he sat down at the table.

"Oh, I never properly introduced myself. I'm Flora," she said and held out her hand.

Ben shook it and said "My name's Ben. I managed to get back your stone." Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out the yellow rock.

"Oh, thank you!" Flora said and took it, but not before hugging the young trainer. "You don't know what his means to me."

"May I ask how you got that?" Ben said and gestured at the stone. Flora gently smiled.

"It was ten years ago. My husband wanted to buy a special anniversary present for our thirtieth. We were living in the city back then. Out of all the shops, my husband couldn't find anything. He found this in the park as he was taking a stroll. He wrapped it all pretty and gave it to me over dinner. The next day, he mysterious disappeared." She stared at the rock in her hands.

"What do you mean mysteriously?" Ben asked. By now, Eevee had hopped onto the table and was listening intently.

"He went to work and never came back," she said. "We searched what seemed all of Yotan for two months, but he was no where to be found. I eventually moved out into the country. The city contained too many painful memories." She sighed. "Enough about me, what about you?"

"I come from Muddale, just south of here." Ben said. "I just started my Pokemon journey yesterday. My brother has been gone for a year on his own journey. I miss him terribly,"

"Were you close to your brother?" Flora asked.

"Very," Ben replied. He was now in a daze, delving deep into his memories. "We had always practiced together. Zeke, my brother, always won. He's a great trainer. He entered the Pokemon League and placed seventh. Now he's traveling Yotan completing his PokeDex. I hope to see him on my trip."

"I can tell you're a very talented trainer," Flora said. She looked down at the stone and then placed it in Ben's hand. "Keep this. I don't know how, but I can tell it will help you."

"Thank you," Ben said with eyes bright and placed the stone in his duffel. He caught a glance out the window and saw an inspiring sight. Nestled at the bottom of the hill Ben was on, was a set of bright lights. It was Finji City, Ben's next destination.

-----

A/N: Hope you didn't mid the short reminiscence of Flora and Ben. Flora will appear later, along with Luna and Orion. Please read and review. All criticism is welcome.

PokeDex: Cardifly, Loricus, and Shrubail.


	3. The City of Flames

A/N: I deeply apologize for taking so long to update. I have a few other stories that distracted my attention and when I got close to finishing this chapter, I deleted on accident. Whoops! Thanks a bunch to –GX-Duelist-(whose OC will appear in this chapter), NekoGirl, and MerlockVonBaron for reviewing. You inspired me to write another chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, but I do own some of the characters and places (Does this sound familiar?), except Chris, who belongs to -GX-Duelist-.

**The City of Flames**

**August 3**

From high a top the towering skyscrapers that made up most of Finji City, sat two people. Both were garbed in violet-colored clothing, except for a large, light blue "n" on the front. They knelt near the edge of the roof, the boy of the two holding a set of high-tech binoculars. They stared intently at the skyscraper across from them.

Through his binoculars, the boy could see clearly through the glass windows that made up the building. After fifteen minutes of staring, he cracked a smile. The boy gently set the binoculars down and said "It's finally arrived."

"Watch them. Make sure they put it in the safe," said the girl that sat next to him. "If they do, tonight is the night." She pulled up her backpack and took out a cylindrical device. Out of each end poked out multicolored wires. A small screen on the side displayed 00:00 in red lights. "This will be sure to blow their minds."

**Alex – 12:00 PM**

The gates to Finji City opened to Alex in a welcoming way. Alex admired them as he walked through. They were made of gold, with a lock connecting them in the middle that was shaped like a flame. Along the top was a sign that read the city's name. It was decorated with fancy letters and swirls.

Alex passed under the sign and continued up a large avenue. The road was paved and big enough to fit two cars down, side by side. The sidewalks were smooth and clean. At night, the streets would be illuminated by large, ornate lampposts. The buildings on either side consisted of mostly shops and offices. Alex was fascinated by all.

Alex turned onto another street that resembled the first. Only, at one end it turned into a plaza. It was made up of all shops, of all kinds. At the center was a domed building that read Pokemon Center in big lights. Alex saw it and ran over.

Inside, the lobby of the center contained a few trainers. A woman sat at a computer across from the door. She wore a nurse's outfit and had her pink hair in curls. Alex walked up to the desk and she said "Hello, welcome to the Pokemon Center. I'm Nurse Joy, how may I help you?"

"Yeah, can you heal my Razoroot?" Alex asked and handed Nurse Joy the Pokeball that clung to his belt. She took it into the back room. After a few minutes, she came back out.

"Razoroot is ready to go," she said and handed Alex the Pokeball. He took it and left the Pokemon Center.

Alex wandered through the city, occasionally stopping to look in an interesting shop that lined the streets. At one point he passed a small enclosure that contained a small park. Inside, trainers were battling one and other. Alex paused and watched for a moment, before continuing on.

Alex had eventually reached the center of the city. It was a large plaza that held the fanciest and largest stores and restaurants. In the center of the plaza was a large park where many trainers came to practice and battle and where others came to relax. After grabbing himself a hamburger, Alex entered the park.

It was pretty empty, except for two or three trainers and they were in a heated battle. So, Alex went to seat at one o the nearby benches.

"Oh no!" someone near Alex screamed. Alex looked next to him to see a woman chasing after a red and black bird. It held a white sun hat in its black beak. Alex almost did a back flip when he saw the infamous Cardifly.

The woman looked extremely silly running all over the park in high heels and a long white dress. Her hair was tied up in a bun. She had a soft motherly face that was strained.

Alex got up and grabbed Razoroot's Pokeball and enlarged it. Soon, Razoroot had appeared in a flash of white light. "Alright, we have to help that lady, and capture that Cardifly," Alex said to his Pokemon. "Are you ready?"

Razoroot nodded and said "Raz!"

"Okay then, Razoroot use Vine Whip!" Alex yelled and Razoroot extended his root. He snapped it toward the red and black bird Pokemon. The vine hit Cardifly in the side and it dropped the hat and plunged to the earth.

Cardifly stood up upon its black legs. It narrowed its eyes and lifted into the air. From its position in the air, it plunged at Razoroot with its claws extended.

Because of his previous battle, Alex knew this tactic. "Razoroot, jump to the left and use Scratch on its back," Alex said. Razoroot nodded and when Cardifly came near enough, leaped out of the way. The bird Pokemon ended up clawing at the earth. Razoroot turned around and swung its claws at Cardifly's back.

"CARDI!" Cardifly yelped as it was struck by Razoroot's sword like claws. It tumbled to the ground and fainted. Alex grabbed a Pokeball out of his bag and tossed it at Cardifly. The ball tapped the bird and it disappeared in a red light. It twitched once, twice, three times before sitting still.

Alex punched his fist into the air. "I caught my first Pokemon!" he yelled at the sky. Alex heard a clapping sound behind him and turned around. The woman that he had rescued the sun-hat for had a grin on her face.

"Oh, very good!" she said. "I love to see young trainers after their first catch."

"Uh, thanks, I think," Alex said and put his hand behind his head.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you for getting my hat back," she said and extended her petite hand. "My name's Molly Richardson."

"Alex Aspen. Oh, and your welcome," Alex said and shook her hand.

Molly suddenly looked at her watch. "Oh, I'm sorry. I have to go. But it was nice to have met you Alex."

"Likewise," Alex said and waved as she walked away. Razoroot looked up at him with a smile.

"Root-raz-razor?" said his Pokemon in a questioning tone.

Alex smiled and said "Yeah, you did well." Razoroot smiled and Alex returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball.

Suddenly, an enormous crashing sound filled the air. It sounded as if the earth was collapsing in on itself. The ground even shook as if that were true. Alex toppled onto his back. He stared around wildly, dazed and confused. Everyone in the park was doing the same. Then it seemed they all spotted it at the same time.

The tallest building in the entire city was burning. A thick, black plume of smoke rose out of it, making it seem as if the building were growing into the clouds. Pieces of the cement structure of the building were tumbling down to the ground. Finji City was in flames.

**Jack – 12: 00 PM**

Jack only been to the city once, but it had been when he was a child. As he walked down the building lined streets he wondered how he could ever forget the grandeur of the city. He smiled at the hustle and bustle of the denizens of Finji and longed to have more time here.

Jack walked absently down the street. Suddenly, it felt as though he hit a brick wall. Jack fell to the sidewalk and sat there dazed. When he gathered himself, he looked up and found a large man standing over him. The man extended a hand. Jack took hold of it and was flung to his feet in one quick pull.

"Are you all right, son?" said the man as he roughly brushed the dirt off Jack.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Jack said and struggled out of the man's grasp. The large man backed up and scrutinized Jack for a moment.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Jack Carter! How are you lad?" the man said loudly and draped his large arm around jack. The trainer looked back at the man with confusion and a hint of fear. "Don't you remember me Jack? Aw well of course you don't. You were just a tyke when we met. But your father's probably mentioned me on several occasions. I'm Rich Richardson."

Jack wheeled back in surprise. It was true. Mr. Carter had talked about Rich many times, but Jack had never imagined that he himself had met the man. Rich Richardson was a highly esteemed business man. His company, Richardson Enterprises, was the company that made Pokeballs. Mr. Carter, Jack's dad, worked for him.

"Ah ha, see, I knew you'd remember me. Come, walk with me." Rich said and once again draped his arm around Jack and led him down the street. "So how is your old man?"

Jack's smile immediately fell from his face and he dropped his gaze. Jack's dad had quit his job just days before he was killed. Jack couldn't muster up the courage to tell the man the truth, so instead he muttered "Fine."

"Excellent!" Rich shouted obnoxiously. Jack scowled briefly. "You know, it was a shame we had to let him go. He was an excellent employee."

Jack instantly forgot his dislike of Rich and looked him straight in the face. "What? You fired him? I thought quit on his own!"

"No, no, lad. He didn't quit. I fired him, believe you me. I remember that day as if it were this morning…

_Rich Richardson walked through the big double doors of the Richardson Enterprises building. The lobby was large and dome shaped with a receptionists desk at one end. Marble covered the floors and walls. On each side, two elevators stood waiting._

_Rich walked up to the desk. "Hello, Irene. What's on the agenda for today?" The woman named Irene smiled and handed him a coffee cup._

"_Decaf Chaco Moca swirl with a thin layer of whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon," she said incredibly fast. Rich took a sip and smiled. "As for what's on the agenda, you've got a meeting with the Kanto branch leader at five, lunch with molly at one, and, oh, James Carter wants to see you in your office right away."_

"_Carter? What could he want?" Rich thought out loud. He thanked Irene and walked into the elevator. He pressed the button with a number 45 on it. The elevator slowly began to ascend. After five minutes a bell dinged and the doors slid open. Rich walked out and crossed a hallway. At the end was a luxurious office, with a floor-to-ceiling window. It showed the skyline of Finji City. _

_Rich walked in and set the coffee cup down on the mahogany desk and made to sit down when he spotted someone in the corner. It was Mr. Carter. Rich pivoted on the spot. Carter had taken a painting off the wall and thrown it aside to reveal a hidden safe. He was hurriedly working at the combination and obviously hadn't heard Rich come in._

"_Carter! What _are _you doing!" he barked. Mr. Carter, taken by surprise, fell back onto the floor. Rich swelled up and lifted Mr. Carter from the floor. "Trying to rob me blind are you?!? Out, I want you OUT! And don't you ever show your face in this building again!"_

"_But, I-" Mr. Carter stammered, but Rich had already tossed him into the hall and slammed the door. Mr. Carter scowled and walked off._

Jack was quiet throughout the entire reminiscence, quietly pondering what Rich said. Hot, bubbling anger welled up inside him. His father had been a thief and a liar. He had tried to rob his own boss, one who he had said he admired on many occasions. Then he had come home and lied through his teeth. Jack wanted to slam his fist into the side of the skyscraper.

"But of course, after seeing nothing was stolen, I forgave your father. But there was absolutely no way he was getting his job back. No one robs Rich Richardson and gets off easy." Rich ranted on but Jack wasn't listening. He was following Rich blindly.

A few minutes later, Jack once again collided with the solid form of Rich. Jack staggered backward. "Aha here we are, Richardson Enterprises." Rich said. Jack looked up at a skyscraper that towered over all the others. A giant RE was situated halfway up. Rich walked towards the sliding glass doors in the front.

The lobby looked almost the same as it did when Jack's dad had worked there. Jack thought it probably hadn't changed at all. They walked up to the same reception desk. A woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes looked away from the computer screen and said "Good afternoon, Mr. Richardson. How was lunch?"

"Excellent, actually," he responded. "Oh, Irene, this is Jack Carter. You remember James Carter? Well, this is his son."

"Ah, Jack. I heard a lot about you from James." Irene said with a sincere smile. "Sweet man, James. Good looking, too. Your mom is one lucky woman."

"Ah, right. Well, I'm going to show Jack my office." Rich said a bit uncomfortably and steered Jack away from Irene towards the elevators. Inside one, they rose to the top floor of the building. When they reached it, they stepped out into the same hallway that Rich had two years back. They walked down it, turned left, then right, then right again until they reached the same office Rich had been in a million times. Problem was, someone was in it now.

The dark paneled door with the words "Rich Richardson's office" stood ajar. Rustling sounds could be heard coming out of it. Rich and Jack ran to the end of the hallway and burst into the office. Jack could have sworn the scene he was seeing now couldn't have looked much different two years before.

Someone was in the corner of the room. A painting had been taken off the wall and thrown roughly aside. Now the stranger was hurriedly working at the safe. _Just like dad, _Jack thought with a scowl.

"What in the world is going on!?!" Rich yelled. The stranger whirled around but had just then opened the safe. It flew open and revealed, not a large sum of money, but a small box. The stranger smirked and grabbed it. "Hey stop! Give that here!"

The stranger stepped into the light and Jack caught a full look at him. He was tall, with jet black, shoulder-length hair. He wore a violet outfit, with black gloves and boots, on a bright blue N on the front of his shirt. The thing that stood out about him though, was his violet eyes. He was also holding something. It was a long silver tube.

"You want something, old man? Then here, catch." He said and tossed the tube at Rich, who caught it on the tips of his fingers. The stranger ran to the window and thrust his foot into it, hard. The entire thing shattered. Millions of sparkling glass pieces fell to the street below. The stranger then grabbed a purple Pokeball from his belt. This also had a blue N on it. He tossed it into the air. It opened and released a flash of white.

When Jack could see again, a Pokemon was hovering outside the window. It was an extremely large Raven. Or looked like one at least. Its beak was curved down ward and had two spikes coming from behind its eyes. A line of the same spikes ran down its back. Its tail was twice as long as Jack and split in two. But the most obvious difference was the fact that it had four wings instead of two. Two six foot long black wings protruded form each side, one over the other. They flapped gently up and down, keeping it in place.

The thief smirked one last time then leapt out the window, landing squarely on his Pokemon. It began to beat its four wings rapidly and they soared away. Jack turned away from the window to see what Rich was holding to find the door wide open and the silver tube lying on the floor.

Jack walked over and picked it up. Mysterious wires poked out of each end. A small screen on one side displayed the time 20:00. It was a timer, set in seconds. And it was slowly ticking down.

Jack began to panic. He swiveled around looking for a way to get rid of it. For half a second, he considered throwing it out the window, but realized that there were a lot more people that could be hurt down there.

15:00…

The bomb clicked every five seconds. This caused Jack to panic even more. He fretted around the office. The dresser? No, too flammable. Under the rug? No, that would blow a hole in the floor. In the chair cushion? No, that was just stupid. Jack began to run around in circles.

10:00…

The bomb beeped again. Jack yelled out in fright and chucked it into a vase. He ran, screaming down the hallway. He hurtled around corners and sprinted down hallways until he arrived at the elevators. They were situated at the end of the final hallway. One of the two was on the fifth floor. The other was occupied by Rich Richardson.

He smirked as the doors began to close. Jack ran towards them shouting "Wait, wait! Hold the elevator! Mr. Richardson, wait, please!" But Rich didn't even attempt to hold the doors. Jack watched him descend through a slit in the doors before they closed shut.

5:00…

Jack looked around him, now desperate for a way out. But he saw nothing, no windows, no other elevators. He was trapped on the top floor of a building with a bomb that was set to go off in seconds.

4:00…

Jack dashed back up the hallway and swung around the corner. It was then that he spotted a small door with a small glowing sign over it. Stairs. Jack, in his mad dash for the elevator, must have run right past it. He could have sung but that would have probably killed him.

3:00…

Jack raced for the door. He stretched his legs as far as they could go. He ran the fastest he had ever run in his life to get to those stairs.

2:00…

Jack stretched out his hand and clasped the knob. He used all the strength he had to throw the door open, nearly tearing it off its hinges. Behind it, a fluorescent lighted staircase descended down, a long way down.

1:00…

Jack nearly leapt to the first stair. From there he took two at a time. He drew closer to the first landing. Five steps, four steps, three steps…

0:00…

A final warning beep echoed throughout the staircase, louder than all the others. Then sonic boom shook the building. Offices rattled, computers fell to the floor, and Jack was thrown from his feet. Then, fire filled the office, the hallway, the now open second elevator, and finally, the stairs.

**Lina – 12:30 PM**

Lina stood mesmerized by the multitude of shops that lined the streets of Finji City. Each one held a different product. Lina suddenly wished there were twelve of her. She wanted to see everything.

She walked out onto the street down the street in a daze. Every few feet she would run to window and stare at the clothes in it. She would then walk hurriedly towards the door, fling it open, come to the realization she couldn't afford anything, and close it. She did this at least twelve times. At the thirteenth, she flung the door open into someone's face.

Lina looked over to see a sandy blonde haired boy rubbing his nose. He looked to be about sixteen and was about half a foot taller than Lina. He had soft blue eyes and friendly smile played on his lips.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Lina said apologetically. "Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to. Please don't call the police!" Lina's mouth ran at a hundred miles per hour, fearfully blabbing everything.

The boy laughed. It was an honest, cheerful laugh and Lina found herself wishing she could listen to it forever. She caught herself though and shook her head, ridding her mind of those strange thoughts.

"It's alright. I'm not going to call the police." The boy said and Lina felt immensely better. "My name's Chris." He stuck out his hand. Lina shook it and her palm tingled.

"My name's Lina. I'm visiting here so I was just looking in he shops." Lina said

"You look about thirteen. Are you by chance here for a badge?" Chris said. Lina nodded. They began to walk up the side walk beside each other. "Well then I guess it was fate for you to slam a door in my face."

Lina gasped. "Are you the gym leader?"

"No, but my brother is. And if your nice a might put in a good word for you." Chris said with a smile. Lina smiled back and blushed.

In the distance, Lina could hear sirens blaring. They sounded as if they were getting nearer. Chris heard them too and they both looked down the street. Two bright red fire trucks sailed down the street past them. Many people on the sidewalk stopped and stared at them. This obviously wasn't a common occurrence here.

"Come with me." Chris said seriously. He was no longer smiling. They dashed back the way they had come to where a bicycle was leaning against a wall. It belonged to Chris. He hopped on and motioned for Lina to sit on the handle bars. She obliged and they rced after the fire trucks down the road.

The trucks led them up many long streets and Chris had to take shortcuts through alleys to keep up with them. Soon they arrived at a large square. On one side a very large sky scraper sat. Many fire trucks and ambulances were congregated around its base. Lina didn't understand why until she saw people pointing up. She looked skyward and her mouth dropped.

The top three floors of the massive building were ablaze. Thick black columns of smoke stretched up into the sky. Every now and then explosions from inside the building would send rubble down among the crowd.

Chris wheeled his bike over to the nearest police officer. It was a woman with blue hair. He tapped her on her shoulder. She turned to face them. "Ma'am, what happened?" He said to her.

She looked back at him with a fearful expression. "A bomb was set off in the top floor of this building. We believe it originated in the office of Rich Richardson." Lina recognized the name and then immediately recognized the building. Chris' face was now terribly pale and his eyes were wide.

"Chris? Are you okay?" Lina said worriedly.

Chris shook his head slowly. "My dad is Rich Richardson. This is his building." Lina looked dumbfounded. She turned back to the police officer.

"Why aren't they putting the fire out?' Lina said

"They can't. It's too high up. There is nothing we can do from done here. We have to wait until more ladders get here," The officer replied.

"Has anyone made it out?" Lina said, glancing at Chris.

"No." Lina swallowed and stared up at the raging fire. Her heart had dropped into her stomach. She couldn't stand to look at Chris, who was staring at the fire continuously. Then an idea leapt into her head. She grabbed the Pokeball from her bag and released Mantras. It flew around a bit and then smiled at her.

"We have a problem. Mantras, you have to go into the fire up there and guide Mr. Richardson down to us." The Pokémon listened intently then looked up at the roaring fire. It looked back at her with feat in its eyes. She stroked its back. "You can do this. You have to." It nodded slowly. Then it flew high into the air, towards the flames. Lina prayed quietly for it to return safely.

Mantras flew level with the top floor and looked for a way in. He found a broken window that flames rose out of. Mantras sucked in air and blew a jet of water at the window. The flames disappeared and it glided in.

On the ground, Lina watched her Pokémon fly into the inferno. "Lina!" Someone called her name. She looked around and spotted a boy her age running towards her. It was Alex. She sighed. He was the last person she needed to see right now. Somehow he always got under her skin and she hated it.

He ran up to her. "What happened?" She told him shortly. He gasped when he told her about Mantras. "You can't send a water-type into a fire!" he yelled. "They'll get dehydrated quickly!" Lina felt a strong urge to slap him around the head.

**Jack 12:30 PM**

It was true though. As soon Mantras had entered the fire, he had felt the heat evaporating the water inside its body. But it had a mission to accomplish. It scoured the office for any sign of a person. Finding none, it flew into the hallway. No one appeared here either. Flames spanned the walls and the floor. Mantras tried to put them out but found it had a limited supply of water to use.

It flew around the corner to the elevators. They were also on fire. Mantras flew away as a section of the floor collapsed beneath him. Back in the hallway, Mantras noticed a door ajar. He flew into it and found a set of stairs leading down. These were also on fire. He flew down to the landing. A movement in the corner caught his attention. A boy was huddled there, barely conscious. Mantras summoned a good portion of water from its bowels and doused the fires near the boy. He didn't know if this was who he was supposed to rescue, but he was going to anyway.

Jack looked up at Mantras and the Pokémon smiled at him. He struggled to his feet. Mantras cheered and then soared around Jack happily. He smiled. The Pokémon then soared farther down the stairs. Jack shakily followed. It put out any fires in their way and then flew back up to help Jack. It was slow going but they steadily made their way down the stairs.

Two levels up from the bottom the stairs began to give way. The fire had destroyed them completely. Mantras took notice of this and worked faster. But he was slowly and surely becoming dehydrated. Suddenly the stairs above Jack creaked and gave way too. Mantras spun around to see flaming boards sail towards Jack. Mantras summoned every ounce of water he had left in him and sent a jet of water towards jack. It hit him full in the chest and propelled him backwards. The boards crushed the stairs between them, leaving a wide gap. Jack knew he had no chance of overcoming it by jumping.

Instead, he grabbed the metal railing that ran along the wall to the landing below. He dangled from it and sidled along. More flaming boards rained down from above, and Jack nearly avoided them by pressing himself up against the wall. He eventually reached the other landing and leapt to it. Mantras looked happy but exhaustion and dehydration tore at him. Jack felt similarly. Smoke filled his lungs and he had trouble breathing.

They continued on, cautiously but quickly. Soon, they reached the door to the lobby. It was not yet on fire and Jack greedily took a huge gulp of air. Mantras did too but still needed water and was close to fainting. Jack strode quickly to the sliding doors at the front of the building. Half way across the lobby, the ceiling above him creaked. Jack looked fearfully up at it. Thick, deep cracks stretched across it and it was shaking violently.

It creaked louder then shattered. Jack dashed forward with Mantras on his heels. Large clumps of solid concrete rained down around them and dust filled Jack's eyes, nose, and mouth. Then the entire ceiling fell around them. Jack dove forward towards the doors. They slid open just in time and he sailed out of them.

**Ben 12:30 PM**

Ben loved the city. He and uncle and brother came here often to get things for his uncle's carpentry business. Ben walked among its streets with a bittersweet feeling. His brother had once walked with him, until he left. Ben sighed at the thought of Zeke.

Ben was heading towards the Pokemon center. Eevee walked beside him, looking around him in wonder. Ben smiled down at him. Eevee ran ahead and looked around then darted back. Passersby would comment on how cute the energetic Eevee was. Ben would just smile and nod.

One little girl pointed back at Eevee in adoration. The older woman she was with pulled her arm along but the girl broke free and ran back to pet Eevee. Ben smiled until the woman came back and dragged the girl across the street. The little girl wailed the whole way.

Ben kept walking until he noticed the little girl struggle with the woman again. She broke free and ran into the street. Suddenly, sirens filled the air and a red fire truck roared down the street, straight towards the girl. Ben's eyes went wide. The girl stopped, dumbstruck by the fire truck. It didn't see her and continued on its collision course.

Without thinking, Ben dashed out into the road. Without stopping, he scooped up the little girl in his arms in the nick of time. The fire truck swerved slightly then continued on to its destination. After the second truck passed, Eevee ran across to join Ben. He handed the girl to the old woman. The girl curled up in her arms bawling.

The old woman thanked him shortly and then continued on down the street. Ben stared curiously after her. It wasn't the thank you he had been expecting but Ben brushed it off. He turned to Eevee. "What do you say we find out where that fire truck was going?" Eevee nodded enthusiastically.

Ben and Eevee dashed down the street following the sound of the sirens. They kept the trucks in sight at all times and eventually came upon a town square. Ben stared in horrid wonder at the burning building in front of it. The upper half of it was now in flames. Every water-type Pokémon was there, sending jets of water into the inferno. The fire appeared to be out of control as it continued to burn the building.

A large crowd of people had gathered around the square. Ben soon recognized two of them. Alex and Lina were standing with worried expressions on their faces. Ben and Eevee walked over to them. "What happened here?" he asked.

Lina looked back at him in surprise then greeted him. She retold the events of the past thirty minutes for the third time. Instead of criticizing her like Alex just stated that he hoped Mantras was able to find Mr. Richardson. Lina deeply appreciated this remark.

Mr. Richardson wasn't in the building though. He had made it out before anyone had shown up. He now stood in the shadows, observing. He held no remorse for leaving Jack up at the top. He only was worried about making sure no one pieced this act back to him.

Mr. Richardson saw the opportune moment when a new member joined the small group that surrounded his son. He strode out into the square and over to his son. "What has happened?" he said innocently.

Everyone turned and looked at Mr. Richardson with confusion. Chris was the only one who seemed remotely happy to see the man. "Dad!" he said and ran over to his father. "I thought you were up there. Where were you?"

"I was going to have lunch with your mother when these fire trucks raced by and I saw my building on fire. Oh boy, think of the money it will take to repair this." Ben thought Mr. Richardson seemed slightly less fearful than he should have been.

"Money?!?" Lina yelled. Ben and Alex looked at her in shock. "Is that all you care about? MONEY! I just sent my Mantras up there to save your butt!"

Mr. Richardson look slightly afraid. Lina was right in his face, yelling loudly. Many people in the square looked over at the commotion.

"But you're not up there are you? Are you? NO! You're down here blabbing about money. My mantras might die because of you! But all you can worry about is MONEY!" Lina had had enough. She swung her arm back and attempted to hit Mr. Richardson. Alex and Ben grabbed her and blushed in embarrassment. Lina struggled fiercely, but she couldn't over come the strength of the two boys.

"Ah, yes well, I had better be going," Mr. Richardson said and quickly strode away. Chris stared in fear at Lina, who was now shouting things that ought not to be mentioned here at Mr. Richardson's back. Suddenly a shout rose among the crowd. Everyone looked again towards the building. Stumbling out the front door was the last person Ben, Lina, or Alex had ever expected to see.

"Jack?" they all said in unison. Held in his arms was Mantras, just barely hanging on to consciousness. They were immediately swamped by doctors. Lina ran over to him, followed by Ben, Alex, and Chris. She pushed through the doctors and grabbed Mantras. She motherly stroked him and resisted giving him over to the paramedics.

Suddenly a huge portion of the building collapsed. It sent a shock wave along the ground through the square. Ben and everyone around him were knocked off their feet. The bag around his shoulder went flying, spilling its contents along the ground. Notebooks, Pokeballs, food, and clothes littered the ground. The blue stone Ben had gotten from Flora bounced along the ground to were Eevee sat. In curiosity, Eevee walked over to it and nudged it with its nose.

There was a brilliant flash of white. Ben stared in wonder at Eevee, who was now glowing. Ben would have figured he was evolving, but knew Eevee couldn't do that without a stone. Suddenly, Ben realized the stone they had saved from Luna and Orion was a water stone.

Looking back at Eevee, Ben noticed it now had a long fish like tail and its body was covered in light blue scales. It had a ring of fin-like membrane around its neck and was twice the size of a regular Eevee. Ben stared in awe at it. Soon the transformation was complete and standing before them was a Vaporeon.

"Whoa, what happened?" Alex said as he stood and brushed himself off.

"It was a water stone. It evolved Eevee into a Vaporeon. Don't you know anything?" Lina said sarcastically, also getting up from the ground.

Alex rounded on her. "I'm sure I know more than you." He said, anger rising inside him.

"You think so?" Lina said rising to match his glare.

"Yes, because I know not to send a Mantras into a burning building!" Alex said, voice near yelling volume. Instead replying, Lina just stood there. Her eyes dropped to her shoes. Inside, it felt as if her heart had returned to her stomach.

"You're right. I was stupid. I could have gotten Mantras killed." She stared sadly at the poor Pokémon lying on the stretcher. It was peacefully sleeping, its body rising up and down in rhythm. Lina was amazed how much she cared for it after just a few days.

Ben looked around him. It was one of the strangest situations he had ever been in. He was in a square beneath a burning building, with the Pokemon he had always known suddenly changed before him. He was with a girl who had an over active temper, a smart alec, stubborn boy, and another boy who had survived a terrible ordeal. To Ben, the future looked completely foggy.

A/N: hey hope you guys enjoyed it. Again sorry it took me so long to update. Please give me criticism and ideas!


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